


If You Forget Me, I Promise You Wont Forget This

by ImmortaHeights



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Idiot Super Soilders, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, M/M, Mama Bear Rhodes, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 16:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15610425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImmortaHeights/pseuds/ImmortaHeights
Summary: Tony should have known this was coming. Why wouldn't Steve leave him for his amazingly hot childhood friend. Bucky was literally perfect, and he could keep up with all the super soldierness. What was Tony but an old, ordinary guy in a suit, why didn't he prepare himself for this sooner?





	If You Forget Me, I Promise You Wont Forget This

Tony should have known this would happen. He really, really should have. He should have realized it when Steve dropped everything to search for Bucky. Should have seen it when he would be so tired after his searching that all Tony would get was a kiss on the cheek (not even the lips mind you) before he head off to his _own_ floor only to wake up at 5 again the next morning to restart the process. 

Then he finally found him, and Tony could understand why Steve was so hell bent on getting hold of his friend. Like having one overly ripped super soldier walking around as free eye candy wasn't enough, James Buchanan Barnes was absolutely mouthwatering. So why should Tony be surprised when Steve proposed a third member in their relationship? 

Of course he said yes, how could Tony deny those bright blue puppy eyes that seemed so alive. So much more alive then they were when it was just the two of them. Before Bucky. Who was he to deny him the happiness that caused said super soilder to practically skip down the hallways towards the floor he insisted Bucky shared with him.

But it was obvious that Tony was only ever the replacement, the bed warmer, until Steve had found who he really wanted. Truly, who could blame him though. Even with his metal arm ( _especially_ with his metal arm) Bucky was beautiful. His long hair was captivating in a breeze and his tight fitting uniform left little up to the imagination. 

Tony hated being babied. If Steve really wanted Bucky he didn't need to keep Tony around just because he felt bad. He would only slow down the two anyway. 

A sharp pang when through Tony's chest and he rubbed away the phantom pain of where his arc reactor used to sit. Another reminder of why he wasn't good enough. How could he keep up with this amazingness that would be Steve and Bucky power coupling. 

Even through all his mourning, Tony could see how the two complimented each other. Whispering in the other's ear and laughing silently to inside jokes only they could get. Who was Tony to awkwardly sit in the middle and pretend he wasn't watching his life collapse around him. 

Maybe Howard was right, who was he kidding, Howard was always right. Steve (and Bucky too for that matter) were too good for him, he was only Tony Stark. Tony Stark who made it off weapon manufacturing until is was too late and Yinsen was dead and Obie had, quite literally, ripped his heart right out of his chest. He was Tony Stark the thorn in everybody's shoe. 

The pathetic man who was currently curled in a ball on the couch in his lab with the doors sealed tight via JARVIS. With dried tears and heavy bags under his eyes from working off of barely 3 hours of sleep that week and the week before. Pathetic alright, but he couldn't bring himself to go upstairs when he knew the two objects of his thoughts would be.

-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-  
**Rhodey's P.O.V.**

Rhodes knew that something was up the moment he started staying at the tower. The slouched, unconfident way Tony dragged himself into the kitchen every morning should have been a dead giveaway to anybody looking. Unfortunately, Natasha and Clint were off on a mission for another month. (They had promptly left after a message from Fury and some muttered choice words about something to do with Budapest. Rhodes wasn't going to ask) so there was a noticeable lack of overobservant super spies able to evaluate the problem. 

Another unfortunate thing, Rhodey didn't _need_ two overobservant super spies to evaluate the problem. It was painfully obvious the moment Steve would rush into the kitchen a little after Tony, give a brief kiss on the head and practically run out of the damn building in search for some "Bucky" or another.

Now Rhodes didn't know who this Bucky was, but he damn well knew that it wasn't worth the slowly shattering look in Tony's eyes every morning after the same thing happens in the kitchen day after day after day. 

Then "Bucky" was found and Tony had told told him how Steve had wanted him to integrate into their relationship. His could still recall how he could barely manage to keep himself in the room for that entire conversation before storming out with a newfound need to punch the living daylights out of a national icon. 

Tony became a recluse (or more than he already was) and hid himself in his lab for days on end, the rare moments he caught of Tony were dashes to the coffee machine and back. 

Steve and Bucky were rightfully worried however. Which was good, if they weren't Rhodes would have actually kicked them out of the tower half naked and in the middle of the night. 

The third week of this was pushing it though, even for Tony, who was known for extended amounts of time without proper nutrition. 

"This has to stop," finally Rhodes stood up from the couch opposite of the chair Steve and Bucky had somehow squeezed onto. "We need to get Tony out if his lab or he's going to die in there of malnutrition." 

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, looking up from the shared book he was reading over Bucky's shoulder. "He hasn't been eating?" Blue eyes full of worry focused on Rhodes, swiftly followed by a second pair of grey. 

All Rhodes could do was look at the two super soldiers in disbelief. "Tony has been barricading himself in his lab since Mr. Metal arm over there has taken residence. Don't play dumb, how could you not have noticed his obvious absence for _three weeks?!"_

Said two sets of eyes immediately widened. "You mean has hasn't eaten anything substantial for _how long_!?" Bucky practically yelled, immediately standing up searching Rhodey's body language for some sort of untold information. 

"We thought he was just avoiding us for a bit because of the initial shock of Bukcy," Steve leapt up mirroring Bucky's stance nearly perfectly. "You mean he's been actually in his lab for _three weeks_ living off coffee?!" 

Rhodes gave the two an exasperated look. "Yes," was the only answer that seemed necessary in this situation, and he watched almost amused as the two super soldiers practically tripped and scrambled their way to the kitchen to make a sandwich and sprint to the elevator down to the lab. 

Man what a trio those three would be. A triple dose of obliviousness and puppy eyes. They're going to be the death of him some day, Rhodes thought, shaking his head nearly fondly before sobering up. No matter the amount of good intentions, if those two fucked with Tony like that again, it wouldn't be his fault if they ever went missing. Permanently. 

They damn well better take care of him.

-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-*-^-  


How could have they messed up _so horribly_? Steve would have welcomed a full slap in the face that Rhodey seemed quite intent on giving if he and Bucky hadn't left the room five minutes later than they did. 

How could he have not noticed that Tony wasn't eating and probably not sleeping either. How could he have been _so stupid_. Now that his eyes have been opened he knows what must have been going through his head. Self doubt, loathing, inferiority. Just thinking about it makes Steve sick.

Bucky was much the same way. He may not have known Tony for that long, but it really wasn't that hard to fall for him. The genius was unknowingly absolutely captivating and by the looks Tony had given him, he had been under the impression the feeling was mutual. The few moments the three had spent together had been complete bliss for the former Hydra assassin. With the adorable genius cuddled between Steve and him fitting perfectly with one of each of their arms slung around his shoulders. He honestly couldn't imagine anything more perfect in his life.

Guilt washed over him when he realized the few weeks they had given the cutie wasn't for an adjustment period but self loathing. How could they have done that to such a perfect creature as Anthony Edward Stark.

"Sirs you have arrived at the lab," the slightly robotic voice of JARVIS alerted causing both soldiers to wince. The A.I. was definately mad at them, there's no way the amount coldness in the automated voice was not on purpose.

Exchanging a concerned look the two quickly stepped out of the elevator before JARVIS could change his mind and decide that they didn't need to be there after all.

As Steve and Bucky made their way closer to the lab they could clearly see a Tony shaped lump on the couch off to the side of the room through the bulletproof glass.

Bucky was the first one to reach the door, yanking and finding it locked, he looked back at Steve who wasn't less than 3 inches behind him. Resigning themselves to begging in less than three seconds they both directed their attention to the ceiling (where, presumably, the sensors were located)

"JARVIS, please. _Please_ , let us in." Steve spoke first. "Please, we have food for Tony and we need to make things right."

No answer

" _Please_ JARVIS," Bucky continued. Still feeling a bit offput begging to seemingly nothing. "What if he doesn't come out for food soon? Dehydration, malnutrition, starvation. Please, we need to get in, we need to help him." Even to his own ears, Bucky had started sounding desperate.

10 more minutes of begging and complete silence on JARVIS' part and the two soldiers were out of points to make. Defeated they just kind of stood outside the door, glancing at each other and then to the door in mental desperation.

A slight hiss startled both men and a quick turn towards the door proved that it had indeed unlocked and was hanging just the slightest bit open.

Wasting no time Steve took the lead and rushed in, Bucky close on his heels. Approaching the couch in a slow manner, Tony was in a daze, tear stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes looked forward, unseeing and absent.

"Oh, honey," Steve sat down on the couch pulling the genius into his lap and cradling him. "Hey, Tones, Tony. Come on babe, can you answer me, please?"

Bucky sat down next the Steve, drowning in guilt and at a loss of what to say. Watching Steve coo into Tony's ear softly combing his fingers through the brown locks and rock them both back and forth.

Slowly Tony seemed to come out of his daze, glancing around and noticing his situation, he burst into a bout off fresh tears, trying to seemingly disappear into Steve's embrace.

Tony could guess why the two of them where here. They finally decided that they didn't need him. That their relationship was better of without the volatile genius to mess it up. Without the stress of having an un-superpowered frail partner.

The tears just came out, with all the mental stress he'd subjected himself to, it was almost embarrassing how easy they flowed.

"I-it's okay if you don't want me," he managed to choke out. "I know. I'm not super strong or anything. I'm just a nuisance. Not even attractive. It's okay. I understand."

With those words the the blood nearly drained from Steve's face and Bucky had started to mildly shake.

"Darling, no. No, no, no, no, no, we thought you needed some space. We didn't want to push you head first into anything. We're so sorry love, so, so sorry." Steve had begun rocking the two back and forth again, seemingly more for his mental state more than Tony's now.

"B-but, you guys dont need me pulling you down. It's really okay," was the small protest "I can handle it, you don't need to pretend to like me, you two can be together and I won't intervene. Promise." Tony had made eye contact with Bucky now, the sentence obviously directed more at him then at Steve.

Realizing this, Bucky's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed a gentle hold of Tony's face and kissed him. No tongue or agressiveness, just a sweet chaste kiss on the lips, meant to sooth.

"If you only knew the things you do to me darling," Bucky groaned. "You're beautiful and smart and charming and charismatic. God you're just fucking perfect, I cant get enough."

Noticing the lingering doubt in Tony's eyes Bucky pulled him in for another lingering kiss and leaning back to watch Steve turn his head for a kiss of his own.

Picking up the genius bridal style Steve slowly headed to the elevator with Bucky's arm slung around both him and Tony. "Come on love, we're going to get you all cleaned up and comphy in _our_ bed. Then we're all going to eat and sleep and just let us take care of you. Okay?" He muttered while carefully stepping into the elevator a very silent JARVIS had brought down for them.

Slowly calming down Tony allowed the swaying of Steve walking to lull him into a semi-sleep. "M-kay," he muttered leaning into the metal hand carding through his hair. "Luv you too."

"We know darling, we know."

They still had a lot to talk about after Tony was well fed and rested but all that could wait. Way too preoccupied with their armfuls of genius, neither super soldier noticed Rhodes peeking around the corner smiling.

Good, nobody had to go missing for now. _For now_.


End file.
